Members of the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions stage a rally at a local construction site in Seoul, Monday, to call on the government to crack down on illegally employed migrant workers at construction sites. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-wooLocal construction workers urged the government to crack down on the illegal employment of foreign workers, Monday, who they claim are taking away their jobs amid an economic slowdown. Some 1,200 members of the Korean Federation of Construction Industry Trade Unions gathered at a construction site for a luxury apartment in Yongsan, central Seoul, at 5 a.m. and staged a four-hour rally, blocking off access."Illegally hired and low-paid migrant workers are building this apartment," the federation said."There have been repeated tip-offs on illegally staying foreign workers, but the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of Justice have not taken any measures to address the issue."Their complaints came months after the justice ministry unveiled a measure, last September, to deport illegal migrant workers at construction sites immediately when they are caught without giving them a second chance. However, the union claims illegal hiring is still rampant."The government measure has not been effective for months," the union said, calling for the ministries to step up efforts to handle the problem.Mixed opinions on foreign workersAmid lagging economic growth, there are growing calls for the government to take stronger measures against illegally employed foreigners to protect Korean workers ― in particular, day laborers ― from losing their jobs to non-Koreans. There are dozens of petitions posted on Cheong Wa Dae's website, calling for the government to stop the illegal practice."On construction sites in the country, there are more illegal migrant workers than those who are working with legitimate visas. The illegal migrants volunteer to receive a lower salary and work for longer hours, and help other illegally staying foreigners find jobs. This disturbs the labor market and eventually threatens the livelihoods of day laborers," a petitioner wrote.Another said, "While local workers are plagued by a lack of jobs, scores of foreign workers in work clothes are seen returning home by bike along Jungnang Stream ― a bitter scene."According to the Construction Association of Korea, the number of migrant workers in the construction sector stood at 226,391 as of May 2018, accounting for 19.5 percent of the industry. The figure only included legally hired foreigners, which mean it could be much higher if illegal foreign workers are counted.While there are calls for a crackdown on illegal foreign workers, some in the industry insist that the government rather needs to increase the number of foreign workers on legitimate visas for the construction sector, citing a lack of local workforce.Choi Eun-jung, a research of the Construction and Economy Research Institute of Korea, said the construction industry currently needs foreign workers as it is not easy to hire locally because many Korean workers shun dangerous and difficult work. "The government may need to expand the scope of the H-2 working visit visa to bring a larger number of legitimate foreigners," Choi said. "At the same time it also needs to crack down on illegal migrant workers and prevent foreigners from entering the country under a visa waiver program and illegally overstaying, to decrease the ratio of illegal migrant workers."